South Bend, Ind. — Top-ranked Duke Blue Devils men’s basketball delivered a dominant performance Tuesday night, overwhelming Notre Dame Fighting Irish men’s basketball 100-56 in a historic blowout at home for the Irish.
Freshman standout Cameron Boozer powered Duke with 24 points and 13 rebounds, leading the Blue Devils to their 26th win of the season. It marked Duke’s first appearance at No. 1 in the rankings this year, coming just days after knocking off then-top-ranked Michigan Wolverines men’s basketball.
The defeat was Notre Dame’s worst at home since 1898 and snapped an impressive run that had seen the Irish win six straight home games against AP No. 1 teams — a streak dating back to their landmark 1974 victory over UCLA Bruins men’s basketball, which famously ended UCLA’s 88-game winning streak.
Boozer, a 6-foot-9 forward considered a leading national Player of the Year candidate, set the tone early. He poured in 20 points and grabbed nine boards before halftime, shooting 10-of-12 from the field as Duke stormed to a commanding 54-22 lead at the break.
Duke (26-2, 14-1 ACC) received additional scoring from Darren Harris, who finished with 16 points, while Patrick Ngongba II and Caleb Foster each contributed 13.
Notre Dame (12-16, 3-12 ACC) was led by Cole Certa and Brady Koehler, who scored 14 points apiece.
The Irish were again shorthanded, playing without freshman Jalen Haralson for the third straight contest due to an ankle sprain. Haralson had been averaging 15.5 points and stepped into a larger role after leading scorer Markus Burton underwent ankle surgery in December. Burton, who averaged 18.5 points per game, is not expected to return this season. Notre Dame also has been without forward Kebba Njie since January because of a knee injury.
Adding to the tough night, Irish head coach Micah Shrewsberry appeared to injure his ankle during the game and was seen wearing a protective boot on his left foot in the second half.
Next Up: Duke returns home to face No. 11 Virginia on Saturday, while Notre Dame will try to regroup when it hosts N.C. State.
